Thanks to all of you who joined us in Riverton, Rock Springs, and Laramie for the first three screenings of Last of the Wild: A Red Desert Story. The turnout in these venues was robust and much of the feedback we’ve heard was overwhelmingly positive.
I’m writing to respond to questions about the postponement of the Pinedale and Lander screenings.
Two weeks ago, members of the Restoring Shoshone Ancestral Foods Gathering Group raised concerns about the film’s limited representation of Shoshone Tribal members.
Because the Red Desert is part of their ancestral homeland, they wanted more representation in the film. This was understandable.
We took their concerns seriously, cancelling the Pinedale screening immediately. The earliest meeting Tribal members could have with us was last Thursday, the night before we hoped to screen the film in Lander.
We made edits to the film, which we showed them Thursday evening. We hoped the changes we made would have remedied their concerns. We learned our changes were not sufficient. We listened with open hearts. We apologized for the unintended, but tangible hurt we’d caused. It was evident that additional edits were needed. We are willing to make these changes to ensure Shoshone Tribal members feel respected and better represented in the film.
We didn’t feel like we could show the film in Lander given this feedback. We apologize that this last-minute cancellation didn’t reach some of you in time, and that you made the trip to Lander in the hope of viewing the film.
At the Wyoming Outdoor Council, we foster a workplace culture where we welcome opportunities to learn. We make mistakes. And when we do, we take responsibility for those mistakes. We extend genuine apologies. Then, with the deeper understanding we’ve gained, we commit to moving forward in new and thoughtful ways. For us, the process matters. Relationships matter.
We are grateful to the Shoshone Tribal members who reached out to us. We appreciate the grace they’ve extended us, and their willingness to help us make additional changes to the film to improve upon it.
We’d already planned a fall film tour. Lander and Pinedale will be included in this. Please stay tuned as we settle on new dates and an improved film. Thank you for your understanding and support.